Improved stone-channelling machine



ignited tate strut (atti-ne.

GEORGE J. WARDWELL, OF RUTLAND, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO STEAM STONE-GUTTER COMPANY, OE NEW .YORK (UTY.

Letters Patent No. 95,860, dated October 12, 1869.

IMPROVE!) STONE-GHANELLING MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. WARDWELL, of Rutland, in the county of Rutland, and State of Vermont, have invented certain novel Improvement-s in Stone-Ohannelling Machinery; aud I do hereby declare that the following' is a full, clear, -and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speciticatiomin which- Figure 1, sheet 1, is an elevation of onel side of the improved machine. f Figure 2, sheet 2, is a plan view ofthe machine.

Figure 3, sheet 3, is an elevation of one end of the machine, showing the carriagesupported upon a laterally-inclined hed, and the cutters adjusted in a vertical plane. j

Figure 4, sheet 4, is a view ofthe chisels or cutters and their standard, showing, in section, thc air and steam-pistons for working the cutters. l

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This 'invention relatesto certain novel improvements on machinery for cutting channels in stone, and which is especially useful in quarrying stone.

The invention also relates, in part, to improvements on Letters Patent, which have been previously granted to me,for cutting channels in stone, preparatory toremoving large blocks from quarries.

The nature'of my invention consists- First, in mount-ing a steam-boiler upon the bed of the carriage or truck-flame, in such manner that the boiler can be made to assume a vertical posit-ion, whether the carriage be upon a grade which ii'iclines in a direct-ion with the length of the carriage, or in a direction which is transverse to the length of the carriage, employing, for this purpose, a sub-bed, upon which the boiler is supported by trnnnions, and which is adjustable abouta vertical centre, as will be hereinafter explained.

Secondly, in making the cutter or chisel-carrying standard adjustable upon the carriage-bed, in such manner thatthe cut-ters can be arranged to operate atany desired point with respect to the length of the carriage, thereby rendering unnecessary the turning of the machine around on a quarry-bed, in order to cut a channel the required length, as will be hereinafter explained.

Thirdly, in the combining an air-chamber with a steam-cylinder, in -which works a piston that gives motion to a gang of cutters, and providing such airchamber with one or more cocks, that more or less air can be confined above the said pistou, and caused to react upon it during the ascending strokes ot' the cutters, as will be hereinafter explained.

Fonrthly, in arranging above the steam-cylinder, in

which works the piston that gives motion to the cutwhich works a piston that is fast upon the rod of the steam-piston, and in providing this open-top cylinder with one or more air-cocks, for admitting air in suitable quantities below the upper pist-on, to serve as au elastic cushion therefor during the descending strokes of the cutters, as will be hereinafter explained.

lo euablerothers skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction a-nd operation.

The gang of chiscls 7.', their standards J, and the. braces J J2, may all be constructed as described in my Letters Patent, dated ou the 18th day of' May, 1869.

The standard J is hinged at l: to a base or bracket, T, which is adjustably connected to -the carriage-bed -A, and which should be provided with bolts, clamps,=

or other movable fastenings, for sccurin g it down rigidly to this carriage-bed in the required position for opera-tion.

The longitudinal parallel ways U Ul, shown clearly in iig. 2, are intended for guiding and keeping laterally in place the base or bracket T, while it is being moved ii'oni one end to the other of' the carriage. g

'lf desirable, the said base or bracket, and its appurtenances, may he moved from one end to the other ot' the carriage, by means of a screw-shaft carrying a travellingnut, which is connected` to the base l in a suitable manner.

By thus providing for adjusting the cutters, their standards and appurtenances to either end ofthe. carriage, it is obvious that the machine need not be turned around in a quarry when it is desired to work close to banks at both ends ofthe channels.

'lo do this with the stone-channelling machinery hitherto employed, it was necessary to construct the machines double, that is to say, wit-h cutters on both sides, and to turn the machine bodily around, so as to cut that portion ot' the rock-bed which could not bc cut at the start.

The carriage is provided with flanged truck-wheels, B, adapted for running on tracks, as fully described in my Letters Patent above referred to.

The axle E of one'pair ot truck-wheels has twin bevel-wheels, e c, applied to it by a key-tenori, so that they can be shifted in a direction with the length ot' their axle. K

The lever F1 'and hand-lever F are used for shifting these wheels e c to the right or left hand, according to the direction it is desired to move the carriage.

, Between the two wheels ce, and keyed on thelower end of a shaft which passes through a standard, G2, is

a bevel-spur wheehc, which receives a slow rotary motion from a worm-wheel, Gr, 'acting on the teeth of the tangent-wheel G1. i

The worm-wheel G is keyed on a crank-shaft, g1, which is sustained by standard, g g, that rise perpendicular-ly from thecarriage-bed A.

This crank-shaft receives motion from a steameuginc, S, through the medium of a pitman-rod, P', which rod is connected to a cross-head on the pistonrod of said engine.

On this crank-shaft, g1, an eccentric, g2, is keyed, which works the slide-valve of the engine through the medium of the valve-rod. S.

A balance-wheel, H, is also keyed onthe crankshaft g1, which is useful as a regulator of motion when thepump I is operated to supply water to the boiler During the operation of supplying the boiler with water, the two wheels e e, on axle E', are disconnected from the wheel c', so that the"carria'ge is not moved.

The steam-boiler C is mounted upon a sub-base, D,

by means ot' trunnions c c, and sustained in an up' right position by means of a clamp-bolt, d', which passes through 'a segment-slot made through the trnnnion-standard D', as shown in fig. 1.

The sub-base D is adjustable around a central pivot, and this sub-base is secured fast, after adjustment around said pivot, by means of bolts, fl d, which pass through holes or slots made through the carriage-bed.

I am aware that a steam-boiler-of the upright kind has been mounted upon the carriage of a stone-chan nelling machine by means of trunnions, so as to allow such boiler to be adjusted vertically when the carriage was arranged upon a laterally-inclined track-bed, as shown in tig. 3; but I am not aware that an adjustable sub-base, D, has ever been used prior to my invention, which would allow the boiler to be adjusted vertically when the Acarriage is arranged to work upon a longitudinally-inclined track-bed.

The adjustable sub-base D, having the carriage mounted upon it by trunnions, as above `described, will allow the boiler Gto be adjusted in a vertical position, no matter what may be the position of the carriage.

The steam-space ofthe boiler C is connected to the engine S by means ot' a flexible pipe, s, and .it is also connected to the valve-chest It, of a steam-cylinder, M, by a iie'xible pipe, s', so that these two pipes will accommodate themselves to the different positions which it may be required to adjust to the boiler C.

The gang of cutters or chisels k receives a rectilincar reciprocating motion from a piston, b2, working in a cylinder, M, on standard J.

The rod b of this piston passes down through a stuifing-box in the lower end of cylinder M, and'is connected to a reciprocating'cross-head, N, working in guides 7 7, applied rigidly to the standard J. Y

This cross-head N is connected to a bracket, V2, which is bolted fast to the lower clamps V1 of the cutters, by means of an elastic pitman, which is composed ot' two jointed levers, with a spring, '1, between them.

The upper ends of the said levers L L are pivoted at m to the cross-head N, and their lower ends'are connected, by loose links, a a', and a block, a., to the bracket V2, as shown intig. 4.

It will be Seen that the spring l will operate, both at the terminus of the ascending and descending strokes of the chisels, to relieve the standard and the carriage from injurious concussion.

The lower ends ofthe levers L L will be drawn toward each other, so as to compress spring l, according to the length of vibration which the links a' a are allowed to receive and the force to be overcome in moving the cutters.

I consider the arrangement, in a stone-channelling machine, of an elastic pitman or other equivalent connecti'on between the cutters and the cross-head N, a

very valuable improvement over rigid connections which have hitherto been used.

The piston bz is lifted by the admission of steam beneath it through a port, 4. f

This port communicates with the steam-chest R, in which works a D-valve, 3, and through this port the steam from the cylinder M is allowed to exhaust into a passage, 2, and through a pipe, r.

The valve 3 may be worked by a rod, Rl, a forked lever, R2, a rod, c', and nuts, o o. The rod o rises from the cross-head N, and the nuts o o, between which, one end of the lever It2 plays, are adjustably applied on this rod, so that the length of strokes of valve 3 can be regulated.

Above piston b21 the cylinder M forms a chamber for air, which can be admitted in more or less quantities througli'the air-cock t.

The air, which is confined in the cylinder M, above the piston b2, will operate by its elasticity to give the descending strokes to the piston and its attachments, while the elasticity of ,the steam admitted below the said piston will operate toplift it, and, at the same time, compress the air which is confined above it.

The force of the descending strokes of the cutters will be regulated by the degree o'f compression of the airabove the piston. Y v

4On top of the cylinder M, and also secured to the standard J, is a cylinder M', open at its top, and closed at its bottom.

In this cylinder M is a piston, b1, which is applied fast on the piston-rod b.

This rod 11 passes up through a stuing-box applied to the head of the cylinder' M, and thus serves for both the pistons.

cocks, t', suitably arranged for admitting more or less air beneath piston b1, when the latter is at the termibeneath said piston, and'serves as an elastic cushion Afor regulating the descent of 'the two pistons and the cutters.

By the admission of more kor less air beneath the piston b, not only the force ofthe descending strokes of the cutters can be regulated, but the amount of descent of these cutters can kbe adjusted as the channel which is being cut gradually deepens.

I do not claim, under this petition, the cutting-device or chisels, nor the adjustable standard to which these cutters are applied.

Nor do I claim the feed-motion for moving the carriage back and forth upon its track.

boiler upon the carriage of a stone-channelling machine; nor operating the cutters by means of a steam-engine applied to cutter-standard. i

I am aware that adjustable drills have been applied.

iVilliam Plummer, on the 6th of October, 1857.

Plummer-s machine is designed for drilling holes into banks of rock, and he mounts his drill upona platform, which is moved automatically so as to feed the drill up to its work.

The base upon which the said platform is mounted, is of a circular form,and is designed to turn about a centre for giving proper direction vhorizontally to the drill.

By reference to the accompanying drawings it will he seen that the cntter-standard is mounted upon a sub-base which is ladjust-able in a direction with the length of its supporti11g-carriage, which latter is movable in a right line.

My object is to provide for cutting channels close The cylinder M is provided with one or more air nation of its 11p-stroke, which air becpmes entrappedv Neither do I claim, broadly, an adjustable steam-A to` standards, which-were mount-ed upon an adjustable, platform, upon a circularly-movable base. y Such a con-V trivance will be found in the Letters Patent granted to AL/l up to embankments at both ends of the channels, which was never contemplated by William Plummer, above referred to.

I do not, therefore, claim the contrivance described in Plummels Letters Patent.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to sec-nre by Letf ters Patent, is-

l. A stone-channelling machine, having its cutterstandard J applied to abase, T, which is adjustable upon the carriage A, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a hinged. cutter carrying standard, J, and an adjustable base, T, with the carrage A, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

, lVitnesses:

C. CLARK, U. W. SAFFoun. 

